“Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.” Isaiah 55:3 NIV
Closing the door with a bang, her feet flew down the path, fleeing frustration, fear, and soon-to-be folly.
As she rounded the bend, the beautiful pond sparkled in the summer sunlight. Peace penetrated both her vision and her mind, slowing her feet to the proverbial snail’s pace.
Her mind paused, forgetting the furious fermenting of just moments before.
As she closed her eyes, her very soul drank in the unadulterated tranquility.
No voices demanding anything. No phone incessantly ringing. No computer beeping, then having the audacity to blank out.
Just silence.
Peaceful silence.
A hug from God wrapped up in that silence.
Strolling among the golden wildflowers she fingered the fragile Queen Anne’s Lace as her mind lingered on the unsaid prayer.
Closing her eyes, she noted every muscle was now relaxed. The combined scent of sweet, damp earth lingered with final raspberries of the season. A bird squawked overhead.
She startled, eyes opening wide, as she realized her serene stroll was anything but silent.
Bees and dragonflies buzzed by her ear in their frantic flight activity. Frogs refused to be forgotten by mates, or anyone else as each croaked his own tune.
She realized in the distractions of the demands of her day, she had blocked out the very sounds of peace her heart yearned to hear.
How often do we do the same with God?
He never leaves us, even when we’ve forgotten Him long ago.
He still wants only the very best for us, even if to get there, He must lead us on “the long scenic route.”
He yearns to hear His name on our lips just as He so lovingly lists ours’ to His Father.
He’s patient and persistent, never overbearing like our earthly demands.
God’s waiting for us to hear His quiet, loving call above the noise of our own chosen, chaotic lives.
And when we close the chaos down, will the ringing remain, diminishing the draw and distinguishment of His voice, His love?
Will we miss the beauty of Him and content ourselves with the façade of silence?
He is patiently calling, will you choose to hear and to listen to Him?
Reflections:
Monday: Read Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens,” Schedule-wise, what season are you currently living? In which do you desire to be?
Tuesday: Read Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” What part do I play in partnering with God to do life?
Wednesday: While Matthew 7:7 is often read when deciding faith, what can I learn from it in terms of doing daily life with God?
Thursday: How can I make my faith a priority? When can I carve time to ask, time to seek, and time to knock?
Friday: Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, how easy it is to become consumed with the details of my life, to the point in which I eclipse You right on out. I can choose to allow the chaos to choke any thought of You, and prayers to You, completely from my being. Please, Lord, in the words of Rebecca St. James, ‘Lord help me not be distracted, Lord help me focus on You.’ * Please help me to not only recall the principles of Matthew 7:7, (ask, seek, and knock) but to also employ them. No matter what stage or season I’m in, I can and I must always make time for You. Thank You for never forsaking me, Amen.
* Lyrics from her song “Go and Sin No More.”
Thank you for reading! Please return by Monday, September 1, for the next post.
Lovely post!
Thank you! Have a great week! Stefanie
Beautiful! This meditation gives me chills as my hair stands on end with goosebumps. Perfect peace only found in Him. So nice to be reminded of that which we can find in God when we slow down the distractions. Love this! Amen! Me :o)
Thank you for your comment! It’s so easy for me to get caught up in all life has to offer me at this stage, that I also lose the connection with Him. And times when I think ‘it’s peaceful,’ I wonder if maybe I am eclipsing Him.
Thanks for your encouragement! Have a great week! Stefanie
God is good and his presence will live forever in joyful and hearing his voice when he speak to us in today again and his message are good and encourage us to not sin no more or doubt his good ness .Let us follow Christ in his the ways and bearing our the cross.Thankls an dbless and joy,keijo sweden
Keijo, thank you for your encouragement! How right you are to say we must not forget His goodness. Even when life is not how we might author it, He is there carrying us through the hard times. Have a blessed week! Stefanie
This is something that I need constant reminders about. No matter how busy life is, we should always make time to spend with the Lord. This also reminds us to keep our priorities straight and to consider the ramifications of how many things we choose to take on. What will suffer? What can we sacrifice and what needs to take priority? Thank you for your post! 🙂
Thank you for your summary! Also, if you or someone you know is searching for a resource on how to prioritize, a new book just out is: “The Best Yes” by Lysa TerKeurst. I will post a review when I finish reading it, but so far can definitely say this is filled with Lysa’s renown humor and direct approach to simplifying and also zeroing in on life with God.